The metal of Green Arrow #10

CB Droege, 10th July 2012

I wasn’t all that upset to see the first Green Arrow creative team switched out - because the original reboot portrayal of the Green Arrow was almost too immature.

Yes, I know it was a relaunch, and so DC wanted to refresh his young, impetuous side on the way to making him the cynical social commentator, so I was willing to tolerate it, but only for a time.

When Ann Nocenti and Harvey Tolibao took over, I was put off at first by how different the art style was from Dan Jurgens’, but the looser more sketchy style grew on me over the three issues of the Triple Threat story line, which is one of my favorite Green Arrow stories of the character’s history.

Issue #10 is a new story, a one-shot this time, and another new artist to get used to, but Ann Nocenti is still taking point as writer, and the story, while short, is great, almost classic Green Arrow, as the tale makes commentary about class and social distinction in a way that we would have seen in some of the best Green Arrows before the relaunch.

Personally, I’m looking forward to more of Nocenti’s Arrow in the coming months.

As for the recent issues, I would recommend you pick up all of what Nocenti has penned so far, which starts with Issue #7, the beginning of Triple Threat, in which Green Arrow, bored with his double life, is approached by attractive triplets who claim to be fans and wish to work for him.

Issue #10, the one-shot titled What goes up…, reveals an interesting side to Green Arrow’s city, and crafts a skillful reflection of some deep social questions, touching on the nature of humanity, as well as the human drive to become more, or at least different, than we are.

If you were put off by the first few issues of the New 52 Green Arrow, I don’t blame you, but these four most recent issues really pick up the slack, and any Green Arrow fan should surely grab them.